May 31st 2011 - One Piece Madness (Day 106)

   While I was in Peneng, a package arrived for me, and I knew exactly what it was when I got home. 

   Ever since I fell in love with One Piece, I've gone and looked for all kinds of collectibles. These are little tea towels with printed Wanted posters of each of the main characters on them, and hanging these up across the dining room made a interesting decoration. Luckily the wife had no objections, as I am going to try to get her into watching One Piece too.

May 30th 2011 - Delicacy (Day 105)

   Carrying on from last night, the food trip continues in Peneng with this Chinese BBQ pork bun. With a crunchy yet flavorful outside and a savory meaty inside, this goes down perfectly with some tea. This of course did not originate in Peneng but they certainly don't taste any better than this.

   The best thing about it all is the fact that it costs only 1.30 Ringgit (RM - Malaysian currency), makes these great treats for the entire crew and to take home for the wife.

May 29th 2011 - Peneng (Day 104)

   Peneng, It's been over six month since I last visited here. The city has many heritage sites and a rich history. The mixture of culture, including Chinese, Malay and Indian can all be found here. And with such a rich culture, comes with a variety of delicious and unique food all in one place.
 
   This here is an oyster omelet, somewhat different from the Taiwanese variety but just as tasty, this is one of many food that was available, pity it's one photo a day.

May 28th 2011 - No Juice (Day 103)

   What do you get when you mix an empty battery, a missing charge cable and a digital camera? NOTHING! so unfortunately I wasn't able take a photo due to the lack of charge.

    Fear not as a new charger is in the mail, the magic of 24 hour online shopping, and it's guaranteed to arrive within 24 hours!

May 27th 2011 - Lost in translation (Day 102)

   Shopping in Taiwan can be full of surprises and fun, mostly because some of the English written on packaging and in stores can sometimes be hilariously funny.

May 26th 2011 - Foreign Treats (Day 101)

   Went to Tokyo again today, and today especially we had a fairly large entourage of flight attendants.  Under normal circumstances, we only need 5 or 6 crew, but today we carried almost double that.

   Some of them were training on their first flight, and so a special treat was to be had to help celebrate that! What better than Japanese desserts, such as this one, to be honest, I'm not quite sure what it's called, except that it has a soft chewy outside with sesame filling and absolutely delicious!

May 25th 2011 - Chopper (Day 100)

   So remember my little rant about One piece earlier? The collecting continues as our favorite convenient store happens to doing a promo with bobble head collectibles.

   These guys bobble along on top of our television set, it's not till now I understand the attraction of bobble head, it put a smile on our faces whenever they nod n shakes.

May 24th 2011 - Engineering miracle (Day 99)

   Hong Kong is a pretty frequent visit for us, and tonight is no different. After arriving at the gate and the passengers are all leaving the aircraft, I peeked outside the window to observe the incredible amount of cars, planes and people that are operating here.

   I remembered watching a documentary about the airport, how islands were removed, land reclaimed, and a giant airport built on top of it all. And all of this, goes unnoticed by many of us who travel through this amazing place.

May 23rd 2011 - Poisonous? (Day 98)

   Home alone today with the dog and couldn't think of anything to make for lunch. So I went with the oldest trick in the book, fried eggs with sausages.

   Simple enough to make, but the eggs turned out very interesting so I got a little bit creative with my food...... I must be real bored!

May 22nd 2011 - Roast (Day 97)

   It's been just over a year since we found Kratos, so we named the day we found him his birthday. And today we celebrated it with a home roasted chicken.

   Wife cooked this up in my brother's rotisserie oven and served with baked sweet potatoes. Sister in law also made some side dishes to go with it all, and we left some of the meat for our birthday boy, and that, was gone within seconds.

May 21st 2011 - Nini (Day 96)

   After picking up the sister in law, we went to an Italian restaurant not too far from our place for dinner.

   There were at least 30 different pastas and risottos to choose from, and I'm not great when it comes to choosing between to many options. After some debate, I settled for beef linguine with pesto sauce. The meal was good and the atmosphere is comforting, all in all a great night out with the family.

May 20th 2011 - UMMM Mango (Day 95)

  Kalibo again, but I managed to leave my camera at home. Luckily cellphones are always on hand.

  After we arrived at the airport, the captain told everyone that they sell a killer mango smoothie here at the airport. After a short wait, just over half a dozen cups arrived on the plane.

  They're made from fresh Philippine mango with no added sugar, it was sweet, refreshing and delicious, now there's something to look forward to next time I come back.

May 19th 2011 - Reunion (Day 94)

   There's nothing like getting together with some old friends, especially one that I haven't seen in 16 years. We gathered at a Japanese restaurant in Taipei, nice food, great company, and lots of catching up.

May 18th 2011 - Chase (Day 93)

I don't remember the number of times I've used photos of Kratos chasing frisbee in the park for my blog, 

but it never gets old. The way he looks with intense concentration and energy always looks amazing.

May 17th 2011 - Bocelli (Day 92)

   Andrea Bocelli in Taiwan!

   The wife's been a fan for a long time and I randomly saw the ad on TV promoting his concert, and we weren't about to pass up the chance to see him live.

   The concert was held in Taipei arena and it was spectacular, and to our surprise  Hayley Westenra guest performed on stage as well. Great night out and we both had a fantastic night.

May 16th 2011 - Going Merry (Day 91)

   I've had some time off recently, and I made the best of those off days reading comics. One that really caught my attention was One Piece, a Japanese comic that is popular across all continents and generations, and its only till now that I've caught the fever.

   It's been awhile since I was so engrossed in any reading material. The drawing, story, characters and humor are all top notch. I'm so addicted to it I've started collecting figurines and toys relating to the comic. And this here is the ship the main characters travel on, which is happily named the "Going Merry"

May 15th 2011 - Dining out again! (Day 90)

   Its so uncommon for us to have visitors two days in a row, but this weekend was quite the unusual occurrence.

   Tonight we didn't end up going to the back kitchen, instead we went to a restaurant where they had swings for seats in part of the area. Unfortunately by the time we got there the swings were all taken, luckily though as the kids occupying them mistook them for playground swings.

   The food here is good but is the price is comparable to Taipei standards, and in Taoyuan, that's saying something. Good thing was everyone enjoyed themselves and was certainly good to catch up with old friends.

May 14th 2011 - Back kitchen (Day 89)

   On days that we don't have the energy for cooking, or when we have friends over. In an attempt to not kill our guests, we take them to our local favorite restaurant, which we now refer to as the back kitchen.

   The best thing about this place is that everything tastes like home, and is exactly why we come here whenever we have an excuse.

May 13th 2011 - The brew (Day 88)

   After the doctors visit yesterday, we began our Chinese medicine brewing immediately.

   The idea is you put in compact the herbs into this cooker, add four bowls of water, brew until there's only approximately one bowl of water left, luckily the cooker starts and stops the process for us so we don't have to keep an eye on it.

   The smell however is overpowering, our entire balcony is smelling of grassy herb-y, and the final product, is drinkable. As they say, the foulest medicine are the best for you.

May 12th 2011 - Old school (Day 87)

   I'm not one for seeing doctors, but a friend took us to a traditional Chinese doctor today.

   Walking into the room the whole place smelt of medicinal herbs, and after awhile we were called to see the man himself. The guy must've been at least 70, he talked with the energy of a 40 year old and wrote like he was in his mid 30s. And all he did was took the pulse on both hands, and began to describe what our problems were,
both the wife and I were amazed at how he pin pointed out the problems,
 and immediately wrote down the required meds.

   After the brief visit, we sat there waiting for the herbs to be packed into individual bags and was told how to make it, we are to drink it for a week and return, quite the unique experience, especially for the wife.

May 11th 2011 - Nuclear Fallout? (Day 86)

Ever since the devastating earthquake in Japan, tourist numbers have dwindled dramatically. 

People are afraid that the nuclear contamination has affected the entire area of Japan.

 Fortunately, Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan is appears unaffected and remains beautiful.

May 10th 2011 - Kalibo (Day 85)

Kalibo, the capital of one of Philippines provinces, and it's only the second time flying here.

The area is famous for it's white sandy beaches and balmy weather, perfect for tourists but the not so much for us. The runway is short and facilities aren't the greatest, which makes a challenging approach and a real learning experience. Have another flight coming here later this month, so will be seeing this sight again soon.

May 9th 2011 - Unusual (Day 84)

   Finished a simulator session today, and soon as I walked through the door, wife called on the phone and said "Go up to the roof and check out the sunset".

   I hadn't paid any attention to how clear the sky was on my way home, as the sun beamed from behind the buildings while it descends into the horizon.

   It's funny how much we take for granted in life, how we not see the beautiful things around us, and all it takes is just a little reminder to see how wonderful things are.

May 8th 2011 - Smell of the night (Day 83)

 In the park at night, a strong fragrance lingers in the air. Pleasant, refreshing and make the walk even more enjoyable.

   I'm not sure exactly what kind of flower this is, but its a shame a photo cannot express how the scent brings a smile to my face.

May 7th 2011 - Exercise (Day 82)

   Flew to Tokyo Narita international airport for the first time today, and we had a 3 hour break before heading back home.

   So while on the ground, I noticed a bunch of Japanese ground crew gathering together doing exercises on their breaks, which reminded me an article I read some time ago about how many Japanese companies provide exercise periods for all employees during work hour, in an effort to reduce stress and suicide rates, with positive results.

  So, to all of us who spend most of our working time sitting down, get up and stretch your legs once in a while,  work isn't everything, in the end, what good is a wealth if we don't have our health to use it.

 

May 6th 2011 - Glow (Day 81)

   The weather has been interesting lately, it's suppose to be summer but the temperature has been slow to rise. It's especially pleasant at night on our walks with Kratos, with a light breeze and clear air, which is very unusual.

   The clear nights and the glow of the lights in the park seemed fairly dramatic through the camera lens. The orange and the reflection from the leaves gave it a almost autumn-esque feel in the park.

May 5th 2011 - Hello Taipei (Day 80)

It's been a while since I last visited Taipei. I had forgotten about the amount of traffic, both motorized and human, that is Taipei. Although only a 40 minute drive away, I still felt like a total tourist here. Even though I was born in this city, everything seemed so unfamiliar and distant. 

A few hours later however, I was right at home and enjoying the sights and tastes of delicious Taipei.

May 4th 2011 - Battle of bedroom (Day 79)

   Summer is approaching in Taiwan, and with it comes the dreaded army of mosquitoes from hell. It's a real battle trying to sleep with the heat and the constant fear of mosquitoes making you their next meal.

   Not to mention mosquitoes in Taiwan has evolved into something of a stealthy assassin. They make little noise unless they are right up to your ear, they blend in with the surrounding and they fly in the most obscure flight path, which means tracking them is extremely difficult.

   We tried the electric bug swatters, the electric insect trappers and of course the bare palm technique, yet these are still not a guarantee in stopping the invasion at night.

May 3rd 2011 - Good morning sunrise (Day 78)

Yet another sunrise over the Philippine mainland, the sky was more amber due to the heavier cloud cover. 

Although working at hours like this isn't the most pleasant, looking at scenes like this makes it all worth while.

May 2nd 2011 - Two thumbs up (Day 77)

   Bali at this time of year is very nice, it's approaching winter but the temperature as far as I know hardly drops below 28 degrees.

   There are lots to see here, I'm not just talking about the sights and tourist spots, but more of the local flavor. There are plenty of sculpture, buildings that are unique to this place, mixed in with locals constantly ask you if you want a massage or hiring a motorcycle, Bali is a great place for a culture experience.

May 1st 2011 - Fried rice (Day 76)

   I was in Bali grabbing a bite to eat at the local mall. Browsing through the fried rice section of the menu and this caught my attention: "Modern Fried Rice".

   It took me a while to resist ordering it out of curiosity, and I just ended up ordering a seafood fried noodle with fish cake with a glass of avocado juice. But till now, I'm still wondering how modern that fried rice could have been.

Apr 30th 2011 - We are eternally grateful (Day 75)

   Heading out to Bali tonight, so took Kratos to the park to get some exercise in, then picked up some lunch to take home.
While I was buying the food, the wife took this photo in the car. So technically the credit goes out to her for this one.

   This little guy has been my favorite Toy Story character ever since it first appeared. It's not only their extreme cuteness or innocence, but how they were grateful of things people do for them, wouldn't it be nice if we had more people like that around.

Apr 29th 2011 - Royally partying (Day 74)

   Today was the royal wedding and I came home from work to find the wife on the couch watching the live broadcast. To prepare for the occasion we had picked up some commemorative cookies and beer while we were in the UK.

   Kratos got amongst the celebrations and sends his best wishes to the newlyweds. Not to mention how incredibly cute he looks next to the giant tin box.

Apr 28th 2011 - Crash (Day 73)

   So part of the reason why I'm so behind on the blog is

A: I'm a total slacker!

B: My laptop crashed!

   "A" really isn't much of an excuse but it's true, but as for "B", well, I was updating firmware on a couple of things on the laptop and then after a restart, it decided to seize all functions except a creepy warning sound. So I spend the whole night plus the next day frantically trying to get it back on. Unfortunately still had to reinstall everything and now I'm back to basic functions on my laptop. Time to do some real catching up.

Apr 27th 2011 - Big Head (Day 72)

   Took the car in for the 30k service today to my regular garage up in the hills of GuiShan. There resides several Formosan mountain dog, to be honest I didn't know they had proper English names until I wiki-ed it, as we normally just call them Taiwanese indigenous dogs.

   This here is DaTou, which translates to big head, literally too as he does have a pretty big head to body ratio. Although he can looks intimidating, he's a real softy when you play with him. The best part is whenever I go up, he's always there to greet me.

Apr 26th 2011 - Risk (Day 71)

   Took Kratos for his usual night time stroll around the neighborhood, and it's around the time when all the snails in the bushes decides to come out as well.

   Saw these two little fellas racing along the pavement to get from one bush to another, a question popped into my head "Why do snails cross the road?". They risk being stomped on or being picked off by predators, is it instinct or need I will never know. All I know is that many of us take risks in life so we can move onto better pasture, and strive for a better self.

Apr 25th 2011 - Sick, Again.. (Day 70)

   My immune system hasn't been in their best state so far this year. The number of times I've been sick already has surpassed the total for last year. Even though it was just a cough it was enough to put me off work.

   Ended up drinking this "Liquid brown mixture" to help cure my cough, note it's got opium in it. Amazingly, it stopped the cough pretty much immediately. Unfortunately the smell of it wasn't the most pleasant and even Kratos shied away when i presented it to him. 

Apr 24th 2011 - Determined (Day 69)

Had another go at the park with the frisbee today and I think Kratos really getting a hang if it.

Snapped some interesting photos of him catching the frisbee, some of him completely airborne but completely missing the catch, some of him sliding on the ground in an attempt to chase the frisbee as it's rolling on the ground. But this was my favorite of the day, it really showed how determined he was after it. 

Apr 23rd 2011 - Big Bird (Day 68)

   Flew to the capital of South Korea today and parked next to this mighty big bird, the Airbus 380. Next to it our 737 looked like David next to Goliath.

   The airport facility and infrastructure here is pure brilliance, everything is well organized and coordinated. it is no wonder Korea has elevated itself in the world market over the past decade. It's definitely something a country need to aspire to.

Apr 22nd 2011 - Frisbee Trial (Day 67)

   Kratos loves ball, we bought a frisbee for him overseas however to see if it is an alternative to ball catching. At first he wasn't quite sure what to do with it, but then soon figured out catching it in flight can be quite the fun.

   What made it even more fun was his ability to bring it right back to us without ever taught him so. Frisbee was a success and we'll be out and about more often with it while the summer approaches.

Apr 21st 2011 - Midnight express (Day 66)

   For those that are wondering, RCTP is Taipei, and VTCC would be ChingMai in Northern Thailand. This used to be a pretty good flight, leaving not too early in the morning and returning just in time for dinner. Then it was changed to lunchtime departure so we can get home to bed.

   Now it is a horror flight with departure at night and arriving back at 4:30 in the morning. Luckily the crew was great and the night turned out to be not so horrible at all. The hardest part of it all was actually getting home and trying to sleep in the morning with a dog stealing your bed spot.

  

Apr 20th 2011 - Hawt (Day 65)

   Early start plus emotionally laden day meant I really needed a boost in the evening. The wife came back and we thought it'll be good to make up the day a little.
 
   So we set out to the hot pot restaurant across the park and got us some revitalizing ingredients. Wife had the healthy vegetarian soup while I went for the Mongolian herb soup base. Add some meat, veges and voila, my day was all better.

Apr 19th 2011 - School (Day 64)

   Few times a year we get dragged into these ground schools to be told what's good and what's not. Watching the same powerpoint show with minor changed is like watching reruns of Shortland Street (NZ tv drama) only less interesting.

   Luckily, the lecturers were engaging enough to keep our attentions focused. Nothing against learning of course, except someone somewhere thought having childishly unfunny material was a good idea, may not be a good idea at all, or maybe my sense of humor doesn't fit this crowd.

Apr 18th 2011 - This way (Day 63)

   Started walking the stairs up to our apartment instead of the elevator recently, unless absolutely necessary of course. Reason I'm doing this is to lose some of the excess baggage I've loaded onto body ever since plane meals and lack of exercise became best of friends.

   It is reassuring to know that on every level, is a sign that points you in the right direction, in case of anything. Wouldn't it be nice if we can have a sign in our life that point the way.

Apr 17th 2011 - How time flies... (Day 62)

   Went to my elementary school friend's wedding reception today, had some fabulous food and caught up with some friends I haven't seen in 18 years.

   How quickly time has passed I thought, I still vividly remember the time we were all playing together, running amok in the school fields. After moving to New Zealand, I've lost contact with so many of them, and it's great seeing them again, and thanks to modern technology, will be staying in touch from now on.

   It is amazing how quickly time goes by without noticing, and this is maybe why I'm doing this, so i can look back, and remember.

Apr 16th 2011 - Going up? (Day 61)

   I go up and down the elevator daily in our apartment, but never do I really look up and observe, since it's always such a quick trip, or just because the ceiling of an elevator never seems to be that interesting.

   Randomly looked up today and actually found it looking strangely like a film reel, so here it is. It's funny how things we take for granted, can surprise us in the most unique way.

Apr 15th 2011 - BREAKFAST (Day 60)

   One of the perks of flying to Hiroshima, other than the hot springs, is that for five hundred yen, crew can get a breakfast like this. (Or if I'm lucky and one of the crew don't want to use their meal voucher ^.^ )

   It's classic Japanese served with rice, egg rolls, grilled fish, salad, pickles and miso soup. Getting up at 5:30 in the morning is totally worth this.

Apr 14th 2011 - Layover (Day 59)

  So second day back to work, finally got to do some real work and flew with our Japanese captain to Hiroshima.

  I've lost count the number of times I've been in this particular hotel, except I'm in the same room every time. Which made me wonder if this room is ever occupied other by anyone else but our company crew?! ..... hmmmm!!

Apr 13th 2011 - Home cooking (Day 58)

   First day back at work, and it had nothing to do with actually working. Just sat in meeting rooms and nodding my head.
Not quite what I had in mind to kick my back into working mode.

   After getting home though, wife has cooked up something really interesting, a fusion between east and west. Steamed rice and lightly boiled broccoli covered in Cornish cheddar cheese sauce. Served with patties made with beef mince and tofu. You definitely won't find that in a recipe book.

Apr 12th 2011 - Back at it (Day 57)

   So we were away from our dog for ten days, and my brother and sister in-law was kind enough to look after him for the time.

   The first day back in the house, he was acting a lot quieter than usual. That quickly changed after a night of sleep, he was back to his bouncy playful self, and here he was playing with the wife on the new toy we got him all the way from UK.

   Seems like we weren't the only ones that needed adjusting, he's had to go through the same process to.